Syndicate

Friday, March 09, 2012

NEW ORLEANS (Wednesday, December 14, 2011) – Sophomore colts and geldings as well as sophomore fillies considered Louisiana Derby or Fair Grounds Oaks candidates earlier this season get a chance to dance over the local lawn Saturday when the 55th running of the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes Fire and fourth renewal of the $75,000 Allen LaCombe Memorial – both slated for the Stall-Wilson turf course – serve as the co-featured events of the upcoming New Orleans weekend.

The Black Gold is named in recognition of the first horse in history to capture the Louisiana Derby and parlay that score into victory in the Kentucky Derby, while the Allen LaCombe Memorial honors the memory of Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe, Fair Grounds’ revered longtime publicity director who died in 1989.

HAMMERS TERROR, CAPETOWN DEVIL DRILL FOR BLACK GOLD—Terry Hamilton’s Hammers Terror, who finished sixth in the Grade III Lecomte Stakes Jan. 21 on the main track, breezed five furlongs March 3 in 59.80 in preparation for his grass debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Black Gold Stakes over the Stall-Wilson turf course.

The son of Artie Schiller, installed as the tepid 7-2 morning line choice in the Black Gold, made his career bow over Arlington’s Polytrack surface last September 25 and finished second by a nose, but broke his maiden going over that same synthetic surface at Keeneland Oct. 20. After that, he won at first asking in first level allowance and $50,000 optional claiming company at Fair Grounds Dec. 8 before his wide trip in the Lecomte as the first leg of the series that concludes with the Grade II Louisiana Derby on April 1.

Jockey James Graham, the only rider Hammers Terror has ever known, will return in the irons aboard the Mike Stidham trainee in the Black Gold.

Pegged as the 9-2 second choice in Saturday’s early Black Gold line is David Randal’s Capetown Devil, who in his last start finished seventh in the Lecomte, a length and a half behind Hammers Terror. The altered son of Cape Town raced five wide that day after winning at first asking over Keeneland’s Polytrack Oct. 14, then won by four over Churchill’s main track Nov. 9 and made it three straight over Fair Grounds’ main track before tasting defeat in the Lecomte.

Louisiana native reinsman Corey Lanerie, aboard for all four of Capetown Devil’s starts, is slated for the saddle once again on the David Carroll-trained gelding who worked four furlongs in 49 flat on Monday.

Pure Tactics, undefeated in two career starts – both over the local lawn – could prove dangerous to the top two considering his obvious familiarity with the grass course here. The son of grass sire Pure Prize is trained by Morris Nicks and penciled in at 6-1 in the Black Gold morning line.

Following that Miami score, Citizen Advocate won Pennsylvania’s $150,000 Presque Isle Debutante Oct. 1 and Delta’s $150,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes Oct 22 before being outdistanced in Grade III Delta Princess at that same western Louisiana oval in her most recent start Nov. 19.

Trained by South Florida-based David Vivian, the daughter of Proud Citizen will be ridden by Luis Jurado in the LaCombe Memorial.

Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Devious Intent, second choice in the LaCombe morning line odds at 4-1, may be the one to beat. She finished second, beaten a length by Citizen Advocate in the My Trusty Cat, then was fourth in the Delta Princess, won the $75,000 Genesis at Delta Downs but was then fifth at last asking in Oaklawn’s $75,000 Martha Washington Feb. 11. Brian Hernandez Jr. rides the Bret Calhoun trainee.